The Shadow of the Starless Night
by Forsaken Angel BlackWing
Summary: "If I die in the game, I die in real life!" Out of all ten thousand players trapped in Sword Art Online, the beta-tester known as Yami was the first person to realize this. Knowing this, he forsook his first friend in SAO so that he could become stronger, so he could survive above all else. But is surviving really all that matters? AU, no canon characters.
1. Snow

The Shadow of the Starless Night

Chapter One: Snow

* * *

**A/N:**

**So, this is certainly new for me! I know I introduce OCs in my works fairly often, but a story where ****_all_**** of the characters are OCs? Never done it before! But yeah, you won't be seeing any real SAO characters here, just to warn you. I _will_ be basing the personalities of some of my OCs off of canon characters, but they'll have different weapons, different appearances, and the like. **

**Anyway, this is just a little something to pass the time whenever I'm stuck on my other stories. That's pretty much the reason I keep making new ones. If I have a whole bunch of stories, then I have a whole bunch of areas to get inspiration for! If I stick to one story and never post another one, then it takes a LOT longer to finish that one story because of all the ideas for other stories pouring out of my brain.**

**Well, that's enough about that! I should probably explain more about this story.**

**So, a major difference between this SAO and the regular SAO lies within the weapons. You can use ANY weapon choice you want, assuming you have enough money to purchase said weapon(s). The thing is, though, that the efficiency of your weapon choice relies entirely on that choice's efficiency in the real world. That means that there won't be any stat modifiers attached to different builds, (I.E. Dual Wield's attack speed bonus wouldn't exist) and there won't be any Extra Skills involving weapons. (Because you can already use any combination you want anyway.)**

**Well, that's about it!**

**See ya at the bottom!**

* * *

A silver curved sword cut my shoulder. At the same time, the thin blue line at the top left corner of my vision began to shorten slightly. I inwardly shuddered, though the apathetic expression on my face remained unchanged.

The blue line, called the "HP Bar", is a visual rendering of my life force. There was a little over ninety percent left. No, that isn't right at all.

I was about ten percent closer to death.

I turned around, running back before my enemy could even begin its attacking motion. I forced myself to breathe deeply in order to steady myself.

My body in this world didn't need air, but on the other side, my body would have been breathing heavily. My limp hands would have been soaked with sweat, and my heart rate would have been off the charts.

But that's to be expected.

Even though what I saw was merely a rendering of a 3D virtual reality, and the blue line being shortened was just a bunch of dots with numbers that showed my HP, the fact that I was fighting for my life didn't change.

_When I think about it that way, it seems completely unfair._

My opponent standing before me, a seasonal mob known as the «Winter Demon», was a humanoid being with white scaly skin and white horns, and it held an unnamed one-handed curved sword in its right hand. Despite its body structure, it was neither human, nor alive. It was nothing more than a lump of complex data that would be replaced no matter how many times it was destroyed.

… No, that's not quite right.

The artificial intelligence unit that controlled the «Winter Demon» had been studying my movements and improving its ability to respond to them with every second that passed. Even so, once this monster was destroyed, the data would not be passed on to the monster that spawned in its place. So, in a sense, this demon was alive, a single creature unique to this world.

"… Right…?"

There was no way the level thirty-two «Winter Demon» could've understood what I said, and yet somehow… it smiled, showing the large, white fangs that protruded from its very large mouth.

_This is reality. Everything in this world is real. This isn't fake at all._

I shifted my two swords so that they lie perpendicular to the ground and parallel to my sides, getting ready for battle.

"REAAAGH!" with a devastating roar, the «Winter Demon» leapt into the air, activating a high-class curved sword skill known as «Fell Crescent», which covered a very large distance in less than half a second…

But I had been expecting that. I had deliberately increased the distance between us in order to create a situation where it would use that skill. I briefly registered the burning smell that the skill created when it started to move.

Then, without making a sound, I activated a skill unique to my build, «Blink Cut». Before it could reach me, I appeared behind it, my swords in an X-like pattern. Then, I turned around just in time to see the «Winter Demon» shatter into countless polygons, going back to the recesses of the «Cardinal System» to await its respawn as a clean slate.

I sheathed my swords into my coat, watching them fuse into it with «Weapon Conceal», an ability I got from the set bonus of my «Moon Set».

_Well, that's enough grinding for today,_ I thought, wiping the sweat from my brow.

Then, I noticed something small and white fall from the sky, onto the forest floor. Then another… then another… until the entire morning sky was filled with the small, white crystalline structures.

"This is the first snow of the winter season…" I said to myself. "It kinda reminds me of the day three months ago, when this death game began."

* * *

I got up from where I lay on my bed, looking outside the window to see the snow that fell, covering the roofs of houses, the tops of cars, and even the grass on people's yards.

Despite the oddness of it snowing this early, even if we were in the northernmost part of Japan, I found myself oddly… apathetic, even with my natural love of snow.

_No time to play in the snow today… because today is the big day. The day I finally get to return to the world of Sword Art Online!_

I looked at the clock at my bedside, reading the time to be 9:37. I had apparently overslept a bit, which meant that school was out today, which meant…

"Brother!"

I soon found my brother, Hikari, standing in my room.

"What is it, Hikari?" I queried, showing no signs of emotion.

"Do you want to have a kendo match before you go back? I know you'll need it for Sword Art Online, since it revolves around swords."

"Not interested," I said flatly. "The style of fighting in there is completely different from kendo-styled sword fighting. Besides, the nito-ryu style in kendo doesn't match my Dual Blades in SAO."

"Fine, I get it," Hikari whispered sadly.

Not able to bear his voice sounding like that, I said, "All right… I'll do it. But just to let you know, I'll be using my SAO style of fighting."

"Fine by me!" Hikari said jubilantly. "You'll be easier to defeat that way anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," I said, smirking deviously.

* * *

An hour later, I had successfully beaten him… five times.

"How the heck did you get so strong with such an unstable style?" Hikari asked me, incredulous.

"Speed and reflexes help," I replied, taking a bite of my lunch. "But I've also trained a lot in that style, so it's easier for me to use it than nito-ryu."

"Well, whatever," Hikari sighed, checking his phone for the time. "Oh, you have to get to your room! It's almost time for the official launch!"

I looked at the time on my watch, finding that it was 12:57.

I immediately rushed to my room, setting up all the necessary things needed for the game to work properly. When I looked at the clock on my nightstand, I found the time to be 12:59.

I quickly sat down on my bed, plugging the Nerve Gear into the wall to keep the internal battery from running dry. I put it on my head, laying down. At the top left corner of my vision, I saw the time… and it was still 12:59.

_Soon that clock will be replaced with an HP bar,_ I thought to myself, feeling truly happy for the first time in months.

Then, as soon as the clock turned to 13:00, I found myself saying the words ingrained into my brain from the very moment I got the beta copy of the game four months prior.

"Link Start!"

Suddenly, my vision turned white, and lines of all colors streaked across my field of vision until they were all behind me. Then, circles with the English words for the five senses came up into my field of vision one by one, confirming that I could use the senses in the game. Once they were all finished confirming, they scrolled off the screen, and a language bar appeared.

I confirmed the play language as Japanese, and a login screen appeared. I mentally entered my username and password.

* * *

_Character Creation_

_Your beta test data is still available._

_Would you like to use it?_

_Yami (M)_

_Yes No_

* * *

I hit yes, and then then a gray screen appeared with the English words, "Welcome to Sword Art Online!" in the middle. My vision moved past this screen, and pillars of blue light that formed a tunnel made their way past my field of vision. Then, the blue light turned into polygons that scattered, revealing the "sky" of the first floor.

I looked down, finding myself in the «Plaza» of the first city in the game, the «Town of Beginnings».

My face resumed its usual bored expression, and I said with infinitely more enthusiasm than my expression showed, "Hello, world, it's good to be back!"

* * *

As I ran through the streets of the «Town of Beginnings», already having purchased two swords for use in combat, I heard someone shout, "Hey, you there! The guy who's running!"

I stopped, turning around to see a male player with an avatar at least a head taller than my own, with bright blond hair and blue eyes.

Keeping my bored look, I said, "Yeah? What is it?"

"I saw you running around the city like you knew the place already. Are you a beta-tester?"

"Uh… yeah."

"Then, could you give me a few pointers on the game?"

I looked down, my face showing the slightest bit of uncertainty. "I dunno…"

"Aw, come on! I'm begging you!" he shouted, earning the attention of several players around us.

_I don't want to be around any other people, but if I keep refusing him, he'll just cause a scene with his begging. That might make other people figure out that I'm a beta-tester, and then everyone will be swarming me for info on the game. I guess I have no choice…_

"All right. Let's start off with introductions."

"I'm Xenex! Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Yami."

* * *

«West Field»

* * *

"Guh!" Xenex grunted in pain as the «Frenzy Boar» before him knocked his dagger and one-handed sword aside with its tusks in two sideways swings, proceeding to head-butt him in the abdomen and send him flying back onto the ground.

"Oh come on, the pain filters prevent you from feeling any pain," I said in an annoyed tone.

"Oh, that's right!" Xenex exclaimed, getting up. "Sorry, I guess it's a habit."

I sighed. "I told you, though, what's important are the initial motions you make."

"Easy for you to say," Xenex said, clearly irritated. "You're not the one fighting a moving target!"

We both looked at the «Frenzy Boar», its HP in the yellow.

I bent down, finding a pebble. _This should work as good as a throwing pick._

I picked it up, putting my elbow behind my shoulder and my hand parallel to the ground.

"If you start with the correct motions and activate a «Sword Skill»," I started. My pebble started glowing with a faint red light. When the skill finished charging, I threw the pebble, and it flew towards the boar, hitting it and dropping its HP slightly.

"The system makes sure that you hit your target."

I could see the confusion in his eyes, asking me why a skill used by mere pebbles would still be called a «Sword Skill». Even so, I didn't answer him.

I unsheathed the left of my two swords, being left handed, and prepared for the «Frenzy Boar's» retaliation.

"How else to explain it…" I began, successfully dodging its first tackle. It came around for a second try, and I blocked it with my sword. "Let the power of the skill build up for a little bit, and when you feel it start to activate, let it take control. Then, the system will make sure you hit your target."

"Let it take control?" Xenex queried rhetorically. "That sounds kinda ominous."

"I know, it takes some time to get used to the idea," I said.

I kicked the boar away from me, making it face Xenex. It started to charge towards him, and I saw the look of fear in his eyes. Then, that fear was immediately replaced by a look of understanding.

_Looks like he remembered the initial motions to a skill of his build._

He put his dagger, which was in his left hand, parallel to the ground, and kept his sword, which was in his right hand, perpendicular. Then, he moved his sword to that it was out in front of him, and a skill began to charge.

_A low-level charge-type skill, it looks like. Judging by the blue light, I think that one's «Rushing Counter»._

The skill finished charging, and Xenex flew towards the boar, diverting its charge to the left with his sword and delivering a critical stab to its side. Then, he flipped over the boar, landing right next to me.

I watched as the «Frenzy Boar» he left behind shattered into innumerable polygons, and a victory window popped up.

Xenex turned around, yelling a victory cry at the sight of the boar's demise.

"Congrats, man," I said, giving him a high-five. "But sadly, that's the lowest level monster in the game."

"You're joking, right? That had to be a mini-boss!"

I laughed, yet my impassive expression remained unchanged. "Nope. Mini-bosses have two HP bars. Still, congrats on your first kill."

"Thanks!" Xenex exclaimed.

_This guy is really enthusiastic._

"So, there are lots of different skills, right? Not all of them have to do with weapons," Xenex queried as he slashed the air, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Well, yeah. The game manual said there's supposed to be thousands of skills for each weapon choice. Well, except for magic, that is."

I sheathed my sword, looking at his surprised expression with a hint of amusement on the inside.

"Seriously?! This game doesn't have magic?!"

I face palmed, saying, "You didn't even look at the game's box before loading it onto the «Nerve Gear», did you? It's called «_Sword_ Art Online» for a reason, you know."

"Well, you have a point. But that just makes it better! Ranged attacks like magic would render all «Sword Skills» useless. I like to move my body around as I fight instead of just staying still."

"Looks like we're in agreement there," I said, my happy voice betraying my indifferent facial expression. "Want to go grind some more? I experimented with your weapon combo in the beta, so I know the initial motions for most of the skills you can use at your level."

"Hell yeah, let's do it!"

* * *

Later that day, when the sun was beginning to set, we sat down to take a breather. Well, Xenex sat down while I stood, not even remotely tired.

_I was letting him get most of the kills anyway._

"No matter how many times I look around, I still can't believe that we're inside a game!" Xenex said enthusiastically. "That Kayaba guy is a freaking genius… it makes me so glad I was born in this time!"

"Can it, you're starting to sound like an old man."

"I can't help it! It's my first «Full Dive»!"

I did a double take, though my expression remained the same. "You mean that this is the first time you've ever used a «Nerve Gear»?"

"Well yeah! I rushed out and bought all the hardware needed to play the game with my sister at the last minute! We were so lucky to get our copies of the ten-thousand first editions!" he said, smiling broadly. "However, you, my good sir, are _ten_ _times _as lucky, getting into the beta test and all. I heard that they let the one-thousand testers pre-order their copies of the official release!"

_I wouldn't say it was luck. More like I was invited because of my prowess in kendo._

"Well, yeah. We got to pre-order our copies if we wanted."

"So, how far did you get in the two months of testing?"

"I got to floor eight."

_Of course, he doesn't need to know that no one else did._

"Wow, that's amazing!" Xenex shouted.

"You make such a big deal out of everything," I said bluntly, making him calm down.

"Sorry."

"Yeah, it took two months, but I think that this time around, I'll get that far in one."

"Wow, you're really into this, huh?"

"Well, you could say that. During the two months of testing, SAO was the only thing I thought about, even in my dreams. Because in this world, a single blade can take you anywhere you want to go. Pretty odd thing for a dual-wielder to say, but still. In this virtual world… I know it sounds weird, but I've always felt more alive in «Aincrad» than I ever did in the real world."

"Wow…"

"Well, you want to hunt some more?"

"Obviously! But… the thing is, I promised my sister I'd meet up with her on the other side for a meal. She's probably already logged out and waiting for me."

"Ah, you did say something about a sister, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Sorry… oh, maybe we could all meet up together tomorrow and go grind? How about it? You free?"

I looked down.

"Oh, if you don't want to, that's okay! You do kinda give off that solo player vibe, don't you?"

"Yeah, sorry…"

"Nah, don't worry about it! I'll just introduce you another day, and we'll just get a drink somewhere!"

"All right… thanks."

"Don't you dare thank me!" Xenex shouted jokingly. "It's _my_ job to thank _you_! You were so much help today! I promise I'll repay you later… somehow."

He got up, putting his fist out, and I met it with my own.

"All right."

"Well, I gotta meet up with my sister. Logging out!" Xenex said, opening his menu. Though a player couldn't see the menu of another player, I knew from his hand motions that he was trying to log out.

_Wait, something's wrong. Normally, after he pressed the button, he would've been logged out immediately._

"Hey, Yami?" Xenex asked me nervously.

"Yeah?"

"Total newb question, but is there any other way to log out? The regular button is missing."

"What?" I queried, looking at my own menu. "You're right, it's not there… and to answer your question, no. there isn't a way out. Which means…"

"We're stuck here?"

"Yeah, that just about sums it up. Think of it on another note, though. If the game doesn't even _have_ a logout button, then it couldn't just be a normal glitch. If the text of the logout button was warped or something, and _then_ we couldn't get out, then that would be a typical first-release bug."

"What're you saying?" Xenex asked fearfully.

_Isn't it obvious?_

"I'm saying that someone must've hacked the server and removed the button."

"WHAT?!"

"Calm down," I said flatly. "Someone has probably contacted the GM already, and the head programmers of the server are most likely working on it as we speak. So it shouldn't be long before the button is back."

Then, I heard a loud sound resonate throughout the first floor. I quickly recognized the sound as the bell from the «Plaza» in the «Town of Beginnings».

"What's going on? That bell is usually only used as a warning bell—"

We soon became surrounded in pillars of blue light, which I recognized to be the light emitted when a person teleported.

When the light subsided, I found myself and Xenex standing next to each other in the «Plaza», along with what appeared to be every other player in the game.

_What are we doing here?_

Xenex then asked me, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you?"

I looked up at the sky, wondering what was going on. Then, a sole red hexagon appeared above us with one word in English.

«WARNING!»

Then another that said, «System Announcement» in English.

And another… and another… and another… until the whole sky was filled with red hexagons with those two words on them.

Then, red liquid started to ooze down into the dome of hexagons from between the cracks. The liquid stopped about halfway down to the ground, forming into something.

"What the hell is that?" Xenex queried.

Just when it couldn't get any weirder, the ooze formed into a giant, illustrious crimson cloak with no body. Somehow, it formed white gloves which stayed under its control, even without hands inside them.

People started guessing as to what was happening, but it was already all-too clear to me.

_This is the hacker… the one who removed the logout button._

The robe started to speak in a very deep voice that resounded through the entire area. **"Attention, players… I welcome you… to my world."**

_What?!_

**"My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the sole person that can control this world."**

_Then… no! This can't be happening!_

My face finally showed emotion, allowing the rage in my heart to shine through.

**"I assume that most of you have already noticed the logout button missing from the main menu. However, this is not a glitch. No, this is a feature of the game… of «Sword Art Online»."**

_You… bastard!_

**"I repeat, this is not a glitch. This is a feature of Sword Art Online."**

"A feature…?" Xenex said from beside me.

**"You cannot log yourselves out of SAO, and no one on the outside will be able to shut down or remove your «Nerve Gear». Should such an action be attempted… the transmitter inside the «Nerve Gear» will emit a powerful burst of microwave radiation, destroying your brain…**

**"And ending your life."**

People began to say words of disbelief, and even Xenex seemed skeptical. But I knew… I knew he wasn't lying.

Everything he said was true.

"He's gotta be bluffing, right, Yami?" Xenex queried, turning to look at me.

"He's right, though. The «Nerve Gear's» transmitters emit microwaves to allow us to have control of our bodies here, and those microwaves are just like those of a microwave oven. If the limiter were disabled, or even weakened slightly, it could seriously mess up our brains, most likely killing us."

"Then why don't we just cut the power?"

"Doing that is essentially the same as shutting down the «Nerve Gear», and you remember what he said about that, right? Even if that would've worked, that's prevented by the internal battery that it has."

"But… that's crazy! Messed up! Insane!"

He was then cut off by the robe, who began speaking again. **"Unfortunately, the friends and family members of several players have ignored this warning, and attempted to remove the «Nerve Gear». As a result, two-hundred thirteen players' lives have come to an abrupt… and tragic end."**

_Two-hundred thirteen people?!_

"I don't believe it! This has to be bull!" Xenex shouted.

He opened several windows up, showing what appeared to be news reports of the current situation.

**"As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting this incident and the many deaths that have occurred. Thus, you can assume that the danger of your «Nerve Gears» being removed is minimal at best. So you can relax and work hard to clear the game."**

I grit my teeth, trying to hold back a string of swear words.

**"But please do take note of this: there is no longer any method of revival in the game. Once your HP reaches zero, your avatar will permanently be deleted from the system, and at the same time…**

**"The «Nerve Gear» will destroy your brain."**

I gasped. _But I must've died a hundred times in the beta! That's what the point of an RPG is! When you die, you learn from your mistakes and you get better!_

**"There is only one thing you need to do in order to long out of SAO… and that is to clear the game. You are all currently on floor one, the base floor of «Aincrad». Make your way through the dungeons and defeat the bosses there and you will advance to the next floor. Defeat the final boss on the one-hundredth floor, and you clear the game."**

Xenex looked on with disbelief, and then began yelling, "Clear all one hundred floors?! That's freaking impossible! Even the beta-testers never made it anywhere _near_ that far!"

**"You can find a gift from me in your item storage. Please feel free to check for yourselves."**

_Does he really expect people to check their inventories for a present _he_ gave us after all the crap he pulled?!_

I saw blue lights all around me, and soon Xenex disappeared into the light as well.

_I'm surrounded by idiots._

When the light subsided, I found Xenex to be a boy with spiky white hair and piercing red eyes, with a slightly smaller build than my real body's build.

"You're… Xenex, right?" I asked, pointing at him.

"Yeah! Wait, when did you become taller than me?!"

"Look at the thing you're holding. It's a mirror, and I think that's what did it," I said flatly.

He looked at the mirror in his hands, seeing his own reflection… his _real body's_ reflection.

"But this is what I really look like! How did it get all this data on my body?!"

I sighed, beginning to explain. "The «Nerve Gear» has a high-density scanner built in that could easily create an exact copy of our faces, and as for your body structure, do you remember when the «Nerve Gear» had you calibrate it? That's probably how they did it."

"Oh… but why…? Why would he do this?!"

I pointed back to the robe. "I'm sure he'll tell us soon enough."

**"I'm sure you're all wondering… why? Why would Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of «Sword Art Online» and the «Nerve Gear», do all of this?**

**"My goal has already been achieved. I wanted to watch over and control a world of my own design. That is why I made «Sword Art Online»."**

I clenched my teeth in rage. "Kayaba…!"

**"And now, that goal has been fulfilled."**

It took all that I had not to draw my swords and run at him, slashing with all my power.

**"This ends the tutorial for the official «Sword Art Online» launch. Players…**

**"I wish you the best of luck."**

With that, the robe began to turn into smoke, which floated up and through the cracks in between the red hexagons. When it finished, all of the hexagons disappeared at once.

All was silent.

I looked down at the hands of my avatar, clenching them into fists.

_This is reality. Kayaba Akihiko, the genius who created the «Nerve Gear» and a complete virtual environment. I admired him, so I understand…_

I looked around, seeing the looks of terror and disbelief on the faces of everyone around me.

_Everything he said just now… was the truth! If I die in the game… I die in real life!_

I heard the sound of shattering glass, and I instantly knew that someone had dropped one of the mirrors. Then…

The crowd went ballistic.

Taking advantage of the chaos, I grabbed Xenex's arm and started running.

* * *

Once we were in an alleyway close to the edge of the city, I turned around and let go of his arm.

"Xenex. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to the next village right now. I want you to come with me."

"Huh?"

"If what he said is true, and I think it is, then we've got to train ourselves up as much as possible in order to survive in this world.

"The money, EXP, and other resources in an MMORPG are limited. The fields surrounding this town are gonna be hunted clean soon, and I don't feel like fighting with other players over resources. We need to head to the next village now and set up camp there if we want to avoid that.

"I know all the safe and dangerous paths, so even at level one, I can get us there safely."

Xenex looked down, his face grim. "But you know, my sister and I spent days in line to get our copies, and… wait!" a look of fear crossed his features. "She's gotta be in the «Plaza» right now, freaking out like everyone else! I can't abandon her, she's my only sister!"

I looked at Xenex, my face expressionless. Inwardly, I felt immense guilt for trying to take him away from his sister.

_But… I can't take them both. Just him would be fine, but even adding one more person… if one of them died, the other would undoubtedly blame it on me. I can't…_

"Sorry."

My eyes widened, and for the first time in ages, I felt shock.

"I really shouldn't be asking for anything more," Xenex elaborated. "So don't worry about us. Get your ass to the next village. I used to lead a guild with my sister in the last 2D MMO I played! I'll get by with the skills you taught me!"

I looked down, and then I said the words that would gnaw at me for three months. "All right… well then, I guess this is where we part. Send me a PM if anything happens."

"Of course!"

"Okay then… I have one last thing to do before we part," I said softly.

I went through my inventory and found the item that turned our avatars into replicas of our real-world bodies, the «Hand Mirror». I hit the «Make into Object» button, and I looked into the mirror's glass. Within seconds, the blue light had surrounded me and subsided, revealing my snow-white hair that came down to my mid-back, my soulless-looking violet eyes, my feminine facial features, my average height and slightly muscular body structure.

"There… now you'll be able to recognize me if we ever meet again. Well…" I said, my voice dangerously close to cracking. "Take care. I'll be seeing you, Xenex."

With that, I turned around and ran a bit. When I turned back, I didn't see Xenex, and I knew that I might never see him again. I felt something warm in my eyes, and my vision blurred. When I held the «Hand Mirror» up to my face, I saw something I hadn't seen in years.

_I'm… crying?_

I turned back around, rubbing the tears from my eyes. I began running, alleyways, past the city, and into the fields. I saw a mid-level «Wolf» mob several meters in front of me, and I drew both of my swords at once. Activating a skill known as «Blink Cut», I appeared behind it and continued running, not stopping at the sound of the «Wolf» shattering into polygons.

_I've got this! I can do this! This world can't beat me! __I will survive!_

"HAAAAAAA!"

* * *

_Wow, that was a blast from the past,_ I thought as my conscious mind emerged from my memories.

Walking back through the forest after defeating the «Winter Demon», I admired the white scenery that was beginning to form on top of all the objects in the wood.

"It really is… just like the snow from that day."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Yeah, it's heavily based off of episode one, but who cares? I'm not just going to copy episodes for the entire story, but I needed to get the foundation of the story set, so that's why I did that.**

**Anyway, the next chapter will continue from where the last three paragraphs end off.**

**So yeah, tell me what you think, guys! If you like it, then please review and tell me why! If you see something wrong with it, then feel free to review with an explanation of how I could improve.**

**Well, I guess that's about all! Here's that line!**

**I don't own Sword Art Online or any of its adaptations!**

**See ya!**


	2. Eyes

The Shadow of the Starless Night

Chapter Two: Eyes

* * *

**A/N:**

**So yeah, I guess I did introduce ****_one_**** canon character, but how could I not use the creator of SAO? But the thing is… who said that he would become Heathcliff?**

**I don't feel like giving any more spoilers, so I'll just proceed to the story.**

**See ya at the bottom!**

* * *

_Walking back through the forest after defeating the «Winter Demon», I admired the white scenery that was beginning to form on top of all the objects in the wood._

_"It really is… just like the snow from that day."_

* * *

When I arrived back at the third village on the twenty-fifth floor, I couldn't help but notice how deserted the snow-covered streets were.

_Well, I was the first person to get to this city… I guess the front-liners just haven't got here yet. And hopefully, they won't get here until I'm gone._

I didn't really have the best of relations with the front-liners. When one of them saw me beat a mini-boss on my own, the person quickly informed the rest of the group. Then, as soon as one of them saw me later that week, she tried to get me to come with her to the upcoming boss raid. I still remember what happened vividly.

* * *

_"Not interested," I said flatly, my expression matching my tone. "Why should I risk my life in a room with a giant monster, fighting for people I don't even know?"_

_The look in her eyes was almost frightening. "You selfish coward! Don't you have anything on the other side you want to go back to?"_

_Images of my brother flew through my mind, and I momentarily had second thoughts about refusing her. I then remembered what was at stake, should I lose all my HP._

I wouldn't be able to see him again anyway.

_With that in mind, I said, "I do, but that's exactly why I hang in the shadows. If I die in battle, I won't be able to go back anyway. It's best for me to let the people with a strong resolve beat the game."_

_"What if _everyone_ thought like that?! Nothing would ever get done, and then our real bodies would just waste away in hospital beds for years on end until we…! Even if someone on the outside managed to rescue us, we would be too weak to do anything once we woke up!"_

_I turned around swiftly, walking away._

* * *

I opened my menu, going into the friend-tracer window. I found Xenex, my only friend in the death game known a «Sword Art Online», one village behind me.

_So, since he and his sister are always at the head of the clearing party, that means that I've gotta haul ass to the next village before they catch up._

I had almost turned the whole thing into a game. As soon as a new floor was opened up, I would go up and start moving my way through the cities and villages of that floor, always trying to stay one step ahead of the clearers to avoid getting unnecessary attention. Then, when it was time for the clearers to fight the floor boss, I would use my now-mastered «Hiding Skill» to disappear from the maps, yet still fight nearby.

This game had gone on for more than twenty floors before that girl made everything go to hell by causing a scene.

In a few minutes, I had bought up a few potions and status-healing crystals with most of my money, seeing as my «Moon Set» gave me enough bonuses to let me be at ease about my equipment for at least seven floors.

_And yet… the moon set doesn't have even a trace of metal armor. All black leather,_ I thought as I looked down on my long black coat, clack boots, black shirt, black pants, and black gloves, all with silver trim, and all parts of the «Moon Set».

_No wonder they call me the «Shadow». The only parts of my appearance that aren't black are my skin and hair, and even those are covered by extra equipment a lot of the time._

When I walked out of the village, the first thing I saw was another seasonal mob, a level thirty-three «Snow Murderer». The «Snow Murderer» was another humanoid mob, and its entire outer skin was made of snow, making it weak to fire-imbued attacks. It held a white scythe in its right hand, which stood almost as tall as the mob itself, and the mob was two meters tall.

I ran at it, my bored expression remaining unchanged. I drew my two swords from my coat as I ran, beginning the initial motions of a fire and dark-imbued skill known as «Red Moon».

The «Snow Murderer» noticed me, beginning to charge up an ice-imbued spinning scythe skill, «Freezing Razor».

My skill burst to life right before we collided, my left sword glowing with a bright red light, and my right sword glowing with an indigo light.

The first hit of the skill, a double-upward swing, knocking the «Snow Murderer's» scythe upward and out of the way. My body then closed in to the mob on its own, the «System Assist» taking effect. The next hit, a double-downward strike, slashed its abdomen, and the «Snow Murderer» roared in pain.

My body moved back slightly, then closed back in for a double thrust, which hit the same mark as before. Yet again, I moved back a bit, and this time a jumping double right slash hit its chest, followed by a double left slash. My swords were a blur, and my swift and powerful strikes didn't give the large, snowy monster time to react.

Then, when the mob finally started to attack, the skill made me do another double-upward slash that pulled me into the air and made me perform a backflip, dodging the attack and making me land just out of the scythe's reach.

Staying silent, I ran in, giving a thrust with my left sword, then my right, and then a spin attack that put me facing away from the mob. Then, I did an upward slash with my right sword, and the blade extended all the way to the other side of the «Snow Murderer's» body upon contact, doing double the damage of the other strikes.

The «Snow Murderer» shattered into innumerable polygons, creating a shower of white light behind me.

Its HP had hit zero less than halfway through the fourteen-hit combo, but that was purely intentional.

_I love how my «Moon Swords» turn overkill damage into EXP. It helps me out so much when I'm grinding._

I walked north toward the next village, admiring the white scenery as I went.

"Wow… everything looks so nice and white. It almost makes me want to lie down and make snow angels," I muttered, chuckling at the thought.

Then, I decided to look at the floor map to see if there were any shortcuts to the next village.

_Let's see… the safest path is the one that goes around the mountain range, but… it looks like there's a cave that cuts through the mountains, allowing me to travel in a straight line to the next village. All right, I guess I'm going into a cave for a bit._

* * *

Walking through the «Cave of Seasons», I couldn't help but notice the lack of mobs to grind with. I continued walking, lost in thought.

_Why would the shortcut have even fewer mobs than the long path? It doesn't make any sense! Wait a minute…_

Just as I figured out the situation, something dropped down from the ceiling, landing five meters in front of me.

It took the form of a three-meter tall muscled skeleton with a hooded white cloak, though the hood was down, allowing full view of its disturbing skull. Its skull had four eyes and several large, gleaming fangs that looked like they could snap my weapons in half. In its left hand, it held a massive two-handed sword that had a curve on the tip, making it look like a cross between a sword and a scythe… and maybe it was.

Two health bars filled up next to its head, one stacking on top of the other, and a name appeared above its head.

«The Freezing Reaper»

_What… the hell?!_

None of the immense fear inside me showed on my face, however, as I drew my swords from my coat. When the mini-boss turned my way, it immediately ran at me, and I returned the gesture.

We met in the middle within less than a second, and I instantly realized something.

_With a mini-boss as fast as this one, skills with a lot of hits are going to be pointless because of how slow they usually are! I have to use only short and fast skills with low post-motion delays if I want to beat this thing!_

It swung its sword-scythe down on me, and I activated a parrying skill to stun it briefly.

I activated a two-hit combo, «Double Circular» while it was stunned, my right sword coming in an upward jab. My left sword soon followed suit, and then I jumped back to avoid an incoming slash.

I ran back in, dodging a powerful downward strike and letting it dig into the ground. I jumped onto the back spine of the sword, running up it and delivering a four-hit combo known as «Starlight Spear» to its head with my left blade, sending the mini-boss down to the ground because of the power of the thrusts.

After I landed, I began to attack it with a series of slashes that couldn't be followed by the human eye. I looked at its health bars, seeing that the first had gone down by about half.

_Too easy._

As soon as it got back up, I hit it with a knockback skill known as «Bear Swipe», sending it flying backwards and back down onto the ground. I ran over to it and used a stun skill, «Blade Bash» with my right sword to keep it down, proceeding to bombard it with fast low-level skills. Even though they were low-level skills, my attack power and STR stat were creating a _massive_ damage output.

By the time its first health bar had been fully depleted, I hadn't even broke a sweat.

_Well, the skills do most of the moving anyway._

When it started to get up, I jumped back, instinctively putting my swords in an X parallel to the ground to activate one of my most powerful skills.

_Crap!_

The activation of the medium-low damage twenty-six hit combo, «Lunar Eclipse» had been set into motion.

It began much like «Red Moon». My swords began to glow with two different colors, my left with silver, and my right with a dark crimson.

The first hit, a double jab, cut through its abdomen, and then the skill sent me backwards just in time to avoid a punch from its right hand. I closed back in, delivering a double-upward slash that sent two red damage lines all the way up its body.

The skill pulled me backward again just in time to avoid a swing from the mini-boss's sword-scythe, and then I realized something.

_The skill is adapting to make me dodge the mini-boss's attacks!_

My right sword came in for a diagonal-downward slash and then I jumped back to avoid yet another slash from its sword-scythe. I closed in again, delivering a double right, then double left, and jumping back to evade yet another attack. My right sword pulled me in for a horizontal right slash, followed by a powerful downward slash that sent me skidding back from its force. I came back in with an upward slash with my right sword, then a double-diagonal down-left slash.

The tenth hit, a double-upward slash, sent me sliding back from the force. I jumped back in, doing another double-upward slash so powerful that it sent me into the air, where I did a backflip. It swung its sword at me, making the first hit on me.

_Damn it!_

I flew back, partly because of the skill, and partly because of the impact of the hit I took. I ran back in, continuing the skill's onslaught.

The next hit was a downward strike from my left sword, followed by another with my right. I jumped into the air, delivering a diagonal down-left slash with my left sword, then a downward strike with my right. I jumped again, hitting its chest with a horizontal-right slash from my right sword, followed by a diagonal spin that blocked a strike from the mini-boss's sword-scythe. Another spin attack followed, then reversed into a double-left strike.

I continued with a diagonal up-left strike with my left sword, doing the same with my right. I followed up with a diagonal up-right slash, then reversed directions into a spin attack. Then, I did a downward V-slash with both of my swords, proceeding to stun it and knock its weapon out of the way with a powerful upward X.

While its weapon was out of the way, I finally started the last hit of the skill: a thrust at its solar plexus with my left sword.

"HAAAAAAH!" an uncharacteristic yell forced its way out of my mouth due to the skill as the hit made contact, creating an explosion of raw power that sent it flying back into a wall.

All was silent for five seconds… and then…

«The Freezing Reaper» shattered into countless polygons, signifying the end of the battle.

A victory window appeared, telling me that I beat the boss, and on top of that window, a level-up sign appeared, showing that I moved up to level fifty. I looked at my HP bar.

_2480/9920_

_Well, that's to be expected. I only got hit directly once, but it was with a huge sword, so I guess it would do a lot of damage. Plus, I had to block and parry a bit, so that would drain a little HP each time._

"Well, that was certainly impressive," a masculine voice said from behind me. "Still, I find it odd that you didn't show any emotion until the end."

I turned around, giving him a blank stare. "My emotional state is none of your concern."

Upon closer inspection, I found that the teenager standing before me to be one of the more well-known members of the clearing group. He had short gray hair and condescending teal eyes. I had never met him before, but I knew who he was due to the expensive, gleaming silver armor with the name "Gin" engraved on his left breastplate.

"You're the «Shadow», I presume?"

"I don't know. Do you know of anyone else in the game with a full «Moon Set»?" I asked, my blank expression changing into an analytical stare.

From where he stood, I could see annoyance in his eyes, and the hand on his «Tachi» didn't look too friendly.

"Going to attack me?" I asked him, pointing to his left hand, which gripped the slightly curved handle of his «Tachi», which hung on his belt. "If I were you, I wouldn't do that. If you attack me… let's just say that I don't have any qualms about killing in self-defense. Plus, any overkill damage turns into EXP because of my right sword's effect, which makes it all the more rewarding."

He flinched for a moment, taken aback by my words. "I came here to challenge you, but not to a death match. I came to challenge you to a duel."

"And why, might I ask, would you challenge someone with the full «Moon Set» in a cave? My «Moonlit Cloak» enhances my «Battle Healing» skill in the night or when I'm in a cave, making me almost impossible to kill here. Besides, even if we were in broad daylight, I could still beat you without breaking a sweat."

"Care to test that theory?" he asked, making the motions with his right hands to open the menu. After a little while, a window popped up.

* * *

_Duel Invitation_

_Accept Duel?_

_Gin VS Yami_

_Mode_

* * *

I tapped the mode button and opened a sub-window, scrolling down to the third option, «First Strike Mode».

_There's no way he'll land a clean hit _or_ take me down to the yellow, even if I'm only at seventy-five percent HP right now,_ I thought, looking up at my HP bar.

I tapped on «First Strike Mode», and the sub-window disappeared. I hit the blue circle at the bottom of the window, and it asked me for confirmation. I hit the confirmation button, and a timer appeared in between us.

_59, 58, 57, 56, 55—_

He drew his «Tachi» from its sheath at his right side, putting it out in front of him and putting his right hand on the curved tip of the hilt.

_He must be trying to imitate kendo style, but in reverse. What a fool._

_35, 34, 33, 32, 31—_

I finally decided to start getting serious, putting my swords parallel to my body and perpendicular to the ground.

"Quite the flawed style," Gin said cockily.

I stayed silent, not falling for the taunt.

_19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14—_

I analyzed him for any weak spots, any areas that I could strike.

_He's leaving that spot wide open, but if I aim for that area, I'll be wide open… so I just have to make an opening myself._

_3, 2, 1—_

The buzzer sounded, and just like that, we met each other in the middle.

"HA!"

He slashed downwards at my head, and I swiftly evaded to the left, making a swing at his right side with my right sword. He just barely dodged in time, taking a horizontal swing at my head. I ducked under his blade, proceeding to swing my swords around in a spin attack. However, by the time my attack began, he had already moved out of the way.

Our eyes met, and no words needed to be exchanged. We already knew what the other had to say.

_You're good… but I'm still gonna win!_

We ran at each other once more, hacking and slashing at each other without end. Still, it was very clear who had control of the battle. I could see the foolish smirk on his face.

_This is too damn easy! He may think he has me on the ropes, but he's in for a huge surprise!_

"I would think someone like you would be stronger than this," he said, his smirk widening. "I'm getting bored. If you're going to get serious, do it now."

"Well, if you want me to get serious, I won't be one to disappoint," I said, my bored look remaining unchanged.

I began to attack with an incredible ferocity and speed, quickly taking control of the battle. Still, he just barely managed to block every attack.

_Come on! I can still get better!_

Then, it happened. At the same time, we both landed a scratch on each other's left cheeks. I jumped back, not even fazed by the scratch. Gin, however, seemed very angry.

Taking advantage of his pause, I instinctively put my swords in an X at a thirty degree angle towards the ground, activating a thirteen-hit combo with an insanely high damage output.

«Starlight Breaker»

_Crap! This'll kill him if he takes even two hits!_

And it began.

I rushed at him, my swords taking a white glow. I slashed at him with an insanely high speed, but all of my attacks seemed to be blocked by his weapon… no…

_The skill is aiming for a «Weapon Break»!_

Five hits into the combo, the attacks began to get even faster. I slashed down on his «Tachi» with my right sword while simultaneously slashing up on it with my left. Right when my two swords made contact with his blade, a shrill sound could be heard throughout the cave.

His «Tachi» broke.

My skill kept going, and I said, "You have to dodge all of these strikes. Just two direct hits from this combo will kill you."

He looked stunned. Almost scared, even. He just barely managed to dodge every strike, but then, the last attack…

The last hit of the skill sent me into a spin attack, hitting Gin in the abdomen and sending him flying back into a wall.

The window showing me as the victor appeared in between us, but I couldn't care less. I ran over to Gin, looking at his HP bar.

It was in the red…

And still going down.

I quickly got out a potion from my pocket and put it in his hands, saying, "Take it."

He took it and drank from it and when his HP started to go up, he shouted, "What the hell?!"

"Huh?"

"Why would you activate a skill that could kill me?!"

"Instinct. Remember, I only really fight strong mobs and mini-bosses, so I only think to activate either fast or strong skills. I'm not used to fighting beings with as low HP as players."

"So now you're insulting the players?"

Ignoring his angry remark, I asked, "What level are you?"

"Don't ignore my—"

My expression changed slightly, showing the slightest hint of annoyance. "What level are you?" I asked him darkly.

"Th-thirty nine," he said, flinching.

_Are they all really that scared of me?_

"So I'm that far above the clearers, huh?" I said absentmindedly, looking up at the cave ceiling. "I just got to level fifty after that mini-boss fight."

I got up, beginning to walk away. "Well, you can go back to the clearing group now. I'm going ahead. I'll probably be off the maps or dead by the time you guys get to the boss dungeon, so don't try to look for me."

"Wait!" Gin shouted. "Why… why did you leave them to die?"

I gasped, my face finally showing emotion. _How the hell does he know about that?!_

I decided to be honest for once, even if it was with a stranger. I needed to get it off my chest. "You know… I ask myself that same question every night, right before I fall asleep to nightmares about what happened that night.

"But like one of them told me once, I just had to keep moving forward. There wasn't anything I could do."

I started walking again, and as soon as I found my way out of the cave, I ran. I tried to run away from Gin, my problems…

And myself.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I don't really know what to say down here, so…**

**Well, I guess I should explain ta bit about what Yami and Gin were talking about towards the end. wait, no I shouldn't! I don't want to spoil you guys!**

**If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to leave a review or PM me! I'll do my best to respond to questions as soon as possible!**

**Here we go! It's time for the disclaimer!**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series or any of its adaptations! (Though I do own a copy of the PSP game.)**

**See you next chapter!**


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